


Blossomed

by toastedside



Category: BLACKPINK (Band), K-pop, NCT (Band)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Romance, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 02:12:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19053160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toastedside/pseuds/toastedside
Summary: In order to find their flow back in their own respective creative field they meet each other. Jaehyun, an optimist, young photographer meet Rosé, a desperate and struggling pianist who had lost her flow in music a while ago, desperate to write and compose a new music for her upcoming concert. Their accidental encounter bring something more than just names. Story to tell, a new chapter to write, forgiveness, and self-healing come along with them.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, everyone! To be frank this is my old work I picked up back. So I think I will post quite regularly since I have rough drafts already for few chapters to come. Enjoy!

In one of many occasions where things could go wrong, somehow the universe decide that the moment she stepped in the airport on a foreign country will be the best time to fold. She exhaled sharply, for umpteenth time this time trying to clear her mind as she rummaged through her purse again. It should be there in a plain sight.

Rosé tried to make her peaking anxiety as subtle as possible, but she knew frantically rummaged through her purse would gain a lot of people’s attention. She huffed her cheeks, ready to give up and confront the winter without her favorite glove that she brings anywhere.

_I can go to nearest Zara to buy a new glove_ , she thought with a defeated sigh. But the thought of dropping her favorite glove still enough to make her shiver and provoke tears to burst.

She pulled her suitcase closer to her, already giving up and decided to walked to the lining immigration ahead her. She cursed her clumsiness as she tried to remember where on earth she pulled out her glove for the last time before she decided to forget it.

“Excuse me, miss.” A light touch on her shoulder startled her. Rosé turned around to face the owner of the voice with wide eyes. “I’m sorry. Did I startle you?”

“N-no,” Rosé found her voice back although it only came out as a little squeak, “not really.”

The owner of the voice offered her an apologetic smile and Rosé had to complied not to be rude. Honestly speaking, it’s hard not to give everyone a hard look and cold shoulder after losing a dear possession she treasures the most. But the genuine yet sneaky apologetic smile he offered made Rosé refraining her bursting emotion.

“I think you dropped this when you walked out the plane. I tried to call you but you walked really fast. Thankfully you’re still here,” he said whilst grabbing his pocket to pulled out no other than her favorite pair of gloves.

“Oh my,” Rosé inhaled and then she let out a surprised, shaky laughter. She could feel her eyes glossed with tears and she didn’t bother to hold it back. “Thank you! I was so devastated when I thought I lost it.”

He didn’t say anything but chuckled lightly as Rosé shakily put her gloves on her hand as she wiped her relieved tears. “It must be your favorite pair of gloves, then. Let me guess, it’s expensive?”

Rosé widened her eyes slightly before she shakes her head with a laughter, “My granny knitted it for me before she passed away. It’s my dearest reminder of her.” Rosé stared longingly at her gloves that now wrapped her fingers perfectly. “I know it sounds stupid –”

“It’s not,” he cut off with a smile before Rosé able to finished her sentence. “It’s beautiful, actually. I wish I could meet your grandma and asked her if she could knit me some gloves as well.”

Rosé was taken aback with the commentary. After a brief pause, she finally found her voice back and let out a laughter. A genuine one that he couldn’t help but smile at her sudden burst of laughter.

“I think she would love to knit you one,” Rosé said.

The man smiled widely at her response and they talked for a while as they trapped in a long and seemingly endless line in immigration. Rosé talked a lot about her memory growing up with her granny, how much she missed her and how she used to bake her apple pies a lot for afternoon tea.

 “She’s a lovely person,” he said with a genuine smile after she told her how she learned to play piano from her. “I bet the apple pie is delicious, eh. I would love to try one.”

“Oh, you would love it!” Rosé cheerfully said.

Their meeting sadly come to an end as his friend already waiting for him outside. He offered her if she wanted him to wait for her taxi to come, but she brushed him off and said he could go.

“Careful with your glove next time. I don’t want you to drop it again. I won’t be there to give it to you next time,” he quipped and Rosé couldn’t help but to laugh.

As she watched him slowly disappearing from her sight, she just realized she never catch his name.


	2. The Pianist

Rosé’s taxi pulled out in a front of an apartment after a long and exhausting journey getting through an afternoon traffic. She pulled out her suitcase with a help from the chatty driver that wouldn’t stop trying to engage her in a polite small talk. Of course, she would comply, it’s rather nice to have someone to talk to rather than sit in silence through a forty-five minutes traffic. However, it would be nicer if she can sneak some sleep after a long day.

She thanked the driver whose name she couldn’t memorize – was it John? Or Jerry? Whatever it was because she forgot to read his name tag in the dashboard – after he helped her to get her suitcase inside the apartment’s elevator. He bid his farewell with a too eager wave and Rosé couldn’t help but to release a light laughter. At least he genuinely helps her and refuse when she tried to give him some extra cash although Rosé ended up shove it to his hand and insisted that he should keep it.

The door in front of her look almost welcoming. She double checked the written address she saved on her phone. Right before she pressed the bell button, the door swung open and revealed a figure standing in front of her.

“You should’ve called,” the figure frowned.

“Nice to see you too, babe,” Rosé teased with a tired smile before open her arms wide for Lisa, her best friend, to crashed into her embrace.

Lisa quickly accepted her invite for a hug begrudgingly with a grumble and a frown. It’s been a really long time since the last time Rosé saw her in person. Ever since Lisa pursued her career and education abroad, they only have the chance to catch up with each other by phone since Lisa barely had any time to come back to their hometown especially after her family moved to Thailand.

They hug for god knows how long, Rosé thought it was nice to be engulfed in a warm, inviting embrace after such a long day. They released each other’s embrace when both of them thought it was necessary.

“What happen to your hotel exactly?” Lisa asked whilst she made her way to her kitchen counter.

Rosé spare her glance throughout her apartment, examine every corner and detail of it. “Yeah, so, there’s a miscommunication between the hotel and my sponsor. They thought my sponsor book the hotel for next week,” she made her way to the couch and sank there with a loud sigh, “and they’re full-booked until at least this weekend. So, I have to wait for a week in order to claim my room.”

Lisa came with two cups of brewing hot tea that Rosé gratefully accepted. “You can stay here until you can claim your room.”

“What? No. That’ll be too much hassle for you. I’ll try to find a ho –”

“You _should_ stay here. I insist,” Lisa placed her warm hands on hers, giving her a stern look that Rosé know and familiar with that translated as no one can argue once she made her decision. “Besides, it’s nice to have a friend around. I have a spare room for you to stay and I’ll be happy to have you here. It’s a little lonely to stay here alone for years, you know?”

Rosé’s tired smile blossomed and provoke Lisa’s as well. “I really should’ve called you.”

“Yes, you really should have,” Lisa released a chuckle as she pulled her hands away. “Now finish your tea and get some rest. I hope you’re not too tired for I will take you out for dinner.”

“Is it a date?”

Lisa rolled her eyes whilst stood up and walked towards her kitchen counter again. “Never know you see me that way, babe.”

Rosé laughed. “Don’t want to upset your boyfriend, babe.”

Lisa didn’t say anything, but Rosé released another fit of laughter for she could hear Lisa rolling her eyes from the kitchen.

* * *

 

Rosé ended up spending her night dining out in a somewhat fancy Italian restaurant in a downtown part of the city. Lisa had described eagerly how this is her favorite Italian restaurant and one of the best in town, and Lisa argued passionately that this exact restaurant is the God tier of any Italian restaurant that received good reviews from a wide rage of customers.

“I heard that it is also Michelle Obama’s favorite,” Lisa said to her on the elevator.

Rosé rolled her eyes. “I feel like you only say that because you know I adore Michelle Obama.”

“Yes and no. But hear me out –”

Well, she couldn’t lie. She had to admit that their margarita pizza was indeed a pleasant greeting for her taste buds and their aglio e olio pasta was one of the best she ever ate, maybe the best one so far. She wouldn’t admit it out loud at how right Lisa was on her oral essay about this restaurant. But from the look of her eyes, Rosé knew that Lisa knew.

“So, when is your concert? I need to clear out my schedule in order to support my best friend,” Lisa open the topic after a comfortable, long silence as they enjoy their foods.

“Early spring,” Rosé silently answered.

Silence suddenly fell between them and Rosé had to look up to see how Lisa suddenly stopped moving her fork.

“That’s two months from now.” Lisa murmured, almost sound like a trail of voices instead of a clear one.

Rosé grinned. “Yeah. I need to perform and write a new song for this concert. I heard that they’ll make a documentary and film the whole concert as well,” Rosé paused for a moment, “I asked my manager if I can come here early so that I can feel the music hall atmosphere in order to write the song better. It’s almost a year and... and...” Rosé gulped, not knowing if she could say it out loud without feeling like she was punched in the gut, “and I cannot write or play any damn thing in the piano. Let alone produce a new song. I just thought this could help.”

Lisa didn’t manage to say anything, but her eyes stares empathetically towards Rosé that made her feel so small. Her hands silently grab hers and her thumb made a small, comforting circles in her knuckles.

“I’m sorry I didn’t make it to –”

“It’s fine, babe,” Rosé smiled as she placed her hand on top of hers reassuringly. “I understand. I bet she would understand too.”

Lisa still look unconvinced, but she managed to forced a smile. Rosé knew she was about to say something, but contemplating as she kept making small circles on her knuckles rather absent-mindedly. Whatever it was Rosé was grateful Lisa decided to drop it.

The rest of the dinner went rather pleasantly. It took a little more effort to bounce back into the earthy and pleasant mood that they had before the conversation, but they managed to crack a joke and laughed out loud until they receive a glance from another table. The red wine that was served indeed play a big role in Rosé’s sudden inability to control her volume.

Walking back home was rather a quiet one. Lisa passed out in their uber and Rosé’s mind keep bouncing here and there. She was grateful that the driver only tried to engage in a small talk for a little while before noticing the tired tone Rosé tried so hard to hide.

Lisa straight up went to bedroom, leaving Rosé alone sitting in the dark on her living room. The busy street outside was muffled from Lisa’s apartment and she found it oddly comforting. She stayed there for a while, glancing at the stacked-up magazines in the coffee table that looked like it was read for hundreds of times already.

Tomorrow will be her first time to step into the music hall and starting her long, abandoned music again that she should’ve worked months ago. The head of the event would love to have some early and small meeting with staffs – including her – as soon as they heard her early arrival. They were so enthusiastic to meet her and listen to her music. But as much as it should comfort and fire her spirit, it only deflated her confidence and made her feel guilty.

She wasn’t sure what she would say tomorrow if they ever mention anything about the music. There are not any acceptable excuses for the delay yet she couldn’t bring herself to write or play the piano for more than ten minutes. What kind of pianist that wasn’t able to play piano for more than three minutes? She shouldn’t have called herself a pianist if she only managed to play Für Elise.

Rosé sighed. Maybe she should stop worrying and just go to bed. The sound of snore from Lisa’s room oddly calmed her down and she couldn’t help but remember their high school days. With a mind buzzing around her head, Rosé managed to shut it down by merely focusing on the muffled sound of busy street outside the apartment.


	3. Hello, Stranger

One thing that Rosé quickly learn from staying with Lisa is that she is a morning person. Normally, she didn’t have any objection against morning person. However, Lisa having a little to none sense of how loud she could be.

Rosé woke up to the sound of her preparing breakfast in the kitchen with a loud bang of something quite heavy hitting the cold tile floor. She quickly sat on her bed with a pounding heart, her eyes wide open in a matter of second. She sat on the bed as her sleepy mind trying to process where on earth that sound came from.

There’s a long, quiet pause after the loud bang that pulled her out from her sleep. Rosé reached her phone to read the time. 5:45 AM.

She sighed with relief washed through her body. She had three hours before she supposed to leave the bed and start the day and tried to fall back asleep immediately. But as soon as she pulled the warm duvet, another loud sound came and didn’t die down.

Rosé grumbled silently, trying to block away all the voices came from outside the room until a loud curse can be heard. She grumpily pushed the duvet away and walk outside to find Lisa’s back facing her from the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” Rosé grumbled, her voice came quieter than she intended.

Lisa quickly turned her back to face Rosé. She grinned at her. “Making breakfast.”

Rosé walked towards the kitchen counter with her eyes squinted as they tried to adjust to the light. “Making _what_ , exactly?”

“Um, waffles?” Lisa stared at her with a raised eyebrow as if she expected her to already know the answer. “Would you like berries in your waffle?”

“Yes, please.”

Lisa took her affirmation as a command as she continue her work without saying anything. But the sound she made during the whole process is loud and clear enough to become a full conversation that two persons would usually have. Rosé sat across the counter in bewilderment at how _loud_ she could be without a single word slipped out her tongue.

The waffle is admittedly good, but if Rosé had to pay money to buy both of them waffles in order to trade it with a good three hours sleep then Rosé would gladly spend the money. Breakfast with Lisa is quite pleasant and they started to talk about everything and nothing, catching up with each other’s life. Although Rosé still quite bitter about the loud morning and being woken up unpleasantly, sleepiness slowly slipped away from her mind as she took the first bite of her waffle.

“Hey babe,” Lisa called to gain Rosé’s attention, “what about I hook you up with someone?”

Rosé spat her coffee. “What?”

“I mean, it’s been a long time since your last relationship with Junhoe?” Lisa raised her tone a little as she tilted her head. “That went sour.”

“Hey!” Rosé frowned. “At least we ended our relationship nicely. We’re in good terms, okay? We’re friends now.”

Lisa squinted. “Yes, but there’s no romance.”

Rosé rolled her eyes.

“I read an article about how to help a struggling friend with their creative work. I just realize you probably need a muse in your life in order to find back your flow to write your music,” Lisa gushes excitedly, “I also notice that most world-famous artists’ muses are also their lover. Like Salvador Dali with Gala Diakonova.”

Rosé stared with eyebrows furrowed, losing all her ability to speak as Lisa recited everything she read on whatever article she managed to found.

“... what if your muse is somewhere out there waiting to be found? Let’s go on a blind date. You don’t have to think about anything but you. I will set up everything...”

To say that Rosé horrified is an understatement. She only had the ability to blink her eyes slowly and steady as Lisa spilled out her plans about hooking her up with her acquittances and friends. She started to pulled out her phone to show her some of her friends and begin to describe them.

“Do you prefer Asian or local men? I think you need to spice up your game. Let’s go with locals,” Lisa trailed as she scrolled through her phone, “wait, you’ll like this one. He’s Asian by the way, whatever, but he’s cute and he’s a photographer,” she started to squinted her eyes and huffed, “God I scrolled through his Instagram and can’t find _one_ self-portrait. Why every photographer hate taking picture of themselves?”

“Babe,” Rosé croaked, finally found her voice back.

“Wait! I remember someone tagged him. There must be one of his pictures posted somewhere...”

“Babe –”

“Hold up, I’m almost there!”

“ _Lisa_!”

“What?”

Rosé heaved a sigh as soon as she had her attention. Lisa raised an eyebrow whilst jerked her chin up, asking her to continue.

“This is ridiculous. I don’t need romance!” Rosé gripped on her coffee mug, frowning as she tried to deliver her point. “I just need the ambience.”

Lisa raised her eyebrow just a little bit higher. “You don’t know until you dip your feet. Give it a try.”

“Nope!” Rosé popped the ‘p’ whilst waved her hand dismissively, “a girl is busy preparing for her concert.”

“At least make him pay for your dinner first and see if you can write an angry song about him.”

Rosé started to laugh at her suggestion. “Nah, I’m good.”

Lisa frowned at her rejection but choose to stay silent and scrolled her phone a little slower.

“I found a decent picture of him, by the way,” Lisa murmured.

“Good for you.”

“Hey! Don’t you want to see his picture first? I worked hard to find one!”

 

* * *

 

Rosé squeezed her way out of the train station, feeling exhaustion suddenly bounce back to her body. She gulped her coffee to its last drip with stress pouring out of her skin, her shoulders tensed as she finally stepped out the busy train station into a none other than busy street. At least she didn’t have to squeeze her way out. At least.

She headed south whilst pondering if she’ll ever stumble a coffee shop on her way to music hall. According to google map, it would only take her ten minutes walking from the train station to the music hall. But as much as she is excited, her body practically tensed and vibrated with stress. She could feel her hand started to shake and she couldn’t tell if it was from caffeine crash or stress.

A tall, beautiful gate greeted her as soon as she stepped into the music hall area. The area was consisting of few creative buildings that often use for art project and shows, sometimes for science fair from what she read from the file her manager sent her few weeks before. In the middle of the hall, there’s a big, beautiful fountain with sculptures in the middle of it. Rosé just had to pulled out her phone and took few pictures before she continued her short walk.

The building she intended to come was a huge Victorian style grand opera building. The building was the main attraction from the music hall, located right in the north part area of the hall. She squinted her eyes as she read the old letters written on its wall. _Grand Belle Opera_.

“My, my,” a loud voice rang throughout the building as soon as she stepped inside, startled her slightly. A wide pair of arms spread wide in a welcoming manner. “If this isn’t our star.”

Rosé smiled warmly. “Hello, Johnny. Nice to see you here.”

Johnny pulled Rosé in a warm, friendly hug. Johnny is her music director and conductor and been working with her ever since she started her career years ago. At first, they were just buddies in their orchestra group until Johnny trained as a conductor and Rosé started to do piano more professionally and they’ve been working together ever since.

“When I heard that you fly here early, I just had to come. The head event personally asked me to in order to discuss few changes,” Johnny started, “you know, since I proposed to film the whole thing.”

Rosé raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “Weird. You never fond with the idea.”

Johnny raised his hands defensively. “I like changes and I think this is a good one. I just don’t know that our star decided to fly here earlier.”

“Are you trying to guilt trip me from cutting your holiday in Chicago short?”

“Maybe so.”

Rosé rolled her eyes whilst smacking his arms playfully. Johnny’s whole body vibrated with laughter, as it always does when he laughs and Rosé had to pressed smile in order to avoid his endless teases.

“I will fly back to Chicago a week before Christmas, anyway.” Johnny gently wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Are you staying here for Christmas?”

Rosé’s thought suddenly flew back to home and she shivered slightly. The thought of being away from home during a supposed to be family time celebration made her chest tight slightly. But ever since her grandma’s death, Christmas has always been a little dull and plain than she used to remember.

Her thought slowly shifted to her grandma and it sent a funny, indescribable feeling to her guts and she hated it. Christmas has always been her nana’s favorite time of the year. Mainly because she can finally gather with her grandchildren and children as she has always been a very, very excited and happy to gather with her family members. She once joked about how family gathering is the only gathering her nana actually ever liked. To think about it, it’s not wrong.

A weird sensation flow throughout her system and suddenly she really wanted to cry.

The sound of high heels hitting the floor underneath it pulled her from her train of thought. She lifted her head slightly to meet with Johnny’s concerned look and she hated it. It always made her feel so small and pitied, probably the last thing she ever needed right now.

“You okay there?” Johnny’s voice was soft and thick with worry.

“I am, I am,” Rosé answered dismissively, trying to sound as convincing as possible. “I’m sorry for zoning out.”

Johnny hummed in respond, but his concerned look didn’t go away. Rosé knew that Johnny noticed tears that welled in her eyes, ready to burst anytime and she is forever grateful he never really addressed it. Although she knew deep inside, he’s itching to point it out to her.

“Ah, if this isn’t our beloved Miss Roseanne Park!” a gentle yet stern voice greeted her. “I am Lilian Hall. Your head event for your concert.”

Rosé blinked as she accepted her hand for a handshake. The hand grip was firm and it didn’t surprise her at all as she had already met countless professionals with a handshake as firm as hers. “Very lovely to finally meet you, Miss Hall. Please just call me Rosé.”

“Then please just call me Lilian,” she smiled gently as she gestured for Johnny and Rosé to followed her. “If you don’t mind, please join me for a little tour throughout Grand Belle Opera.”

Rosé and Johnny followed closely behind as Lilian started to explain few things about her upcoming concert. All the technicalities, things she should’ve prepared and things she couldn’t do as per written in her contract. Lisa hummed in response, trying to listen as best as she could. She didn’t say anything much, unlike Johnny who tried to engage in a conversation.

Her attention shifted to a grand piano located in the middle of the opera stage with red curtain draped all around it. She contemplated for a second, already tempted to feel it underneath her fingertips. She watched Johnny and Lilian drowned in their conversation, already few steps ahead her as they continue their little tour.

“Lilian,” Rosé finally open her mouth whilst approaching them, “I wonder if I can use this piano for a practice?”

Lilian spun around to face her as her attention shifted. Her eyes spared a glance towards the piano behind them before she broke into a smile. “Obviously. You can use it whenever you please.”

“Even, let’s say, during the night?”

Lilian contemplated a second. From her face alone she was confused by the question but choose to nodded. “Yes. I’ll let the guard know that you will use this building whenever you please. I’ll give you the keys.”

Rosé’s eyes lit up at the answer. She practically jumped on her toes excitedly, eager to touch and try to find her stunted flow in music back. Johnny threw her an amused look.

“Anyway,” Lilian smiled whilst gestured someone to approach them, “Johnny personally discussed to film and documented the whole concert. I am here to introduce you to the staff Johnny recommended.”

This time, it’s Rosé’s turn to threw Johnny a confused and questioning look and she earned a mere shrug as a respond.

Two figures approached them, slowly emerged from the dark side of the stage. Rosé’s eyes immediately recognize one of them as her jaw slightly dropped at the sight. The figure squinted his eyes slightly at her, his finger slowly raised accusingly as if he accused her for stealing his lunch.

Lilian cleared her throat that quickly broke their contact. “Johnny, I believe you already know who these gentlemen are.” Johnny merely grinned at the statement that made Rosé furrowed in suspicion. “Rosé, I am delighted to introduce you to our documenting team. This is Mark and Jaehyun.”

Mark offered a handshake that Rosé accepted gladly. “Mark Lee. I am the director for the documenting division. Pleasure to meet you.”

Rosé smiled. “Believe me when I say the pleasure is all mine.”

“Jaehyun. I am the guy behind the camera.” Jaehyun politely offered his hand. His eyes didn’t meet her but instead slowly and solemnly examine the hand that wrapped around his own. “Glad you didn’t drop it again.”

Rosé could feel heat slowly crept around her neck at the statement. Everyone around her threw a confused glance towards them, obviously didn’t catch the reference that calmly flew above their heads.

“Rosé,” she squeaked her name out finally, came out just above whisper but audible enough for Jaehyun to hear. “Of course, I didn’t drop it _again_.”

“Gentlemen, Miss,” Lilian cleared her throat again and their attention shifted back to her. “Shall we continue?”

Johnny made a gesture that allowed Lilian to walk ahead them as the rest followed closely behind. Mark quickly tried to butted in the conversation and it didn’t take long for them to drown in their discussion again. Jaehyun walked side by side with her that made her oddly nervous and in ease at the same time.

“If you watch Iron Man, Lilian will awfully remind you with Pepper Potts,” Jaehyun suddenly whispered.

Rosé had to laugh. Of course, she watched Iron Man. At this rate it’s almost impossible to bump into someone who doesn’t know what Iron Man is.

“She kinda looks like Gwyneth Paltrow.”

“Right? A perfect real-life Pepper Potts, isn’t she?”

Rosé laughed again that made Jaehyun involuntary laughed as well. They followed Lilian’s steps as she discussed her plans for the upcoming concert, not noticing that only two persons actually paid attention. Rosé sighed quietly, silently listening to Jaehyun’s quiet commentary underneath his breath that she found somewhat amusing.

The meeting isn’t as bad as she thought.

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapters will focused more on Rosé and Jaehyun. But we might get an insight from Jaehyun as well!


End file.
